Alex McLean is a well-known artist, musician, researcher, and coder based in Sheffield. He is the creator of Tidal Cycles, free software for writing music, and is one of founders of live coding and the algorave phenomenon.
Alex actively builds communities in the areas that interest him, and in this episode we talk about some of the events, festivals and groups he's been instrumental in developing, including Algomech and Dorkbot London.
He's also an academic researcher on the Penelope Project, and we discuss his particular interest in the seldom-acknowledged connection between weaving and modern technology. Alex explains the loom punch cards aren't the interesting bit – it's the interference patterns we should be focussing on.
This episode includes a live-coding demo. If you want to download TidalCycles and try it yourself, the code Alex was working with is: d1 $ jux rev $ chunk 4 (hurry 2) $ n "0 .. 7" # sound "cpu1" d2 $ jux rev $ off 0.25 (|+ n 12) $ n (off 0.125 (+ 7) $ "") # sound "rash"
Alex's website
Algorave
The Penelope Project
iTunes link
HC on Spotify
HC on PlayerFM
Jonas Antonsson – emotional video games
What does it mean to be motivated?
What is Creativity?
What's the point of empathy?
Creativity Clinic 21: Four ways to keep motivated in an age of freelancing, procrastination and the gig economy
Creativity Clinic 20: One creative branding tip, and how I'm rebranding this podcast!
Nathan Geering – accessibility innovation through beatboxing and b-boy dancing
Creativity Clinic 19: The value of paying attention in an attention scarce world!
Creativity Clinic 18: The waiting game – gambling on the big gigs
Maggie Nolan – 'Applied Improv' for consultancy and corporate workshops
Creativity Clinic 17: Prioritising Ideas
Sara Green – choreographing science
Creativity Clinic 16: Time and Art
Ben Moor – clever and funny storytelling in one-man shows
Creativity Clinic 15: Wellbeing and Making
Sophie Rochester – digital storytelling and the welldoing movement
Katie Day – Making innovative theatre
Creativity Clinic 14 – Inspiring books
Adam Tandy – making TV: the Detectorists; Inside Number 9; the League of Gentlemen
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Commercial Edge: Unleash the Power of People
The emPOWERed Half Hour
Aligned Money Show
Gorse Culture PODcast : The H.R. Detective Agency!
HCI Leadership Revolution
The Ramsey Show
Planet Money